Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday approved a proposal to notify amendments to a Central Act that provides for comprehensive universal access to improved abortion care to women.
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The proposal was presented by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
While approving the proposal, an official said Mr. Saxena expressed “grave displeasure” that the matter was presented for approval after a lapse of over two years.
The official said the communication for notifying the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021 was mailed by the Centre to the Delhi government in December 2021.
The L-G also directed the Health Department to ascertain the lapses leading to the “inordinate delay” in processing the matter and asked to fix responsibility for this.
‘Step in right direction’
In response, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the L-G’s displeasure was “taken in good spirits”. “[The proposal] goes further in firming the government’s resolve to be ahead of all other States, including those ruled by the BJP. In fact, the Delhi government is behind only the State of Odisha in issuing a notification for the said statutory forms,” he said.
He added that the Delhi government is committed towards providing affordable healthcare to all.
The Act is a step towards “expanding access of women to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds”, with amendments including increasing the upper gestation limit for termination of pregnancies under certain conditions, and the requirement of only one Registered Medical Practitioner’s opinion for abortion up to 20 weeks.
